"Planning v. Preparation"

I might not do a lot of PLANNING for my podcast... but I am always PREPARED! 

In my previous conversation with Anokh Goodman and Rana Rose Kökçinar, I tried to articulate two things that exist for me- (1) the fear I have of being perceived as lazy, uncaring, or rude for foregoing abundant research, overly structured questions, or clear conversational goals in my podcast and (2) the desire I have to lean into emergence, trust the process, and truly co-create the conversations I have. Thankfully, I was in good company with Anokh and Rana, who immediately jumped in to explore this with me. (You can always go back and listen to that conversation here- https://www.storieslivedstoriestold.com/podcast/episode/7a095872/on-trading-super-coherence-for-incoherence-with-anokh-goodman-and-rana-kokcinar-or-ep-136)

Although that was my first attempt to put this into words, I've been paying attention to the tension between these two forces for a while, struggling to make sense of it all. 

But now, thanks to my latest conversation partner- Karina Solsø- I have the language to describe this experience! Sprinkled in between a lot of other really great wisdom in this conversation, Karina references John Shotter's distinction between 'planning' and 'preparing.' 

Game. Changer. 

These two words- that upon first glance, could be said to be the same thing- conjure up different meanings, stories, and experiences, that, for me, offer permission, a giant stamp of approval, a way to make sense out of my confusion. Like all things CMM and Social Construction, this has helped me to move from a perspective defined by mutually exclusive "rights" and "wrongs," to one made up of co-existing differences. 

The way I get ready for a podcast recording- it isn't just a bad version of 'planning'- it's a choice to 'prepare' instead! And, now, I am always prepared- prepared to listen deeply, prepared to respond mindfully, prepared to engage curiosity, prepared to lean into emergence, prepared to improvise, prepared to co-create. 

So, prepare yourself- and join this conversation with Karina to explore with us:

💡 Emergent sensemaking

💡 Designing conversational arenas for exploring change

💡 The conditions for and possibilities of upstream and downstream thinking

💡 Navigating the tensions of plurality by embracing “not knowing”

💡 Not erasing the "otherness of the other"

💡 Developing a practice of noticing

💡 Creating social coherence through the responsibility of ethics

Listen here: https://www.storieslivedstoriestold.com/podcast/episode/7993242a/on-emergent-sensemaking-and-social-cohesion-with-karina-solso-or-ep-137 and let me know what you learn!